Model and toy building and construction elements therefor



Sept. 10, 1935. E. E. TOMPKINS MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THEREFOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20. 1954 A'I'TOR'NEYS 7 E. E. TOMPKINS 2,013,771 MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THEREFOR I Sept. 10, 1935.

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MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 20, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4' INVENTOR fp/vzsr A. 7DMP/(M/J Wam- ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1935; TQMPKINS I 2,013,771 I MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 20, 1934 e Sheets-Sheet 5 ENTOR [PM-'5 75mm;

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ATTORNEYS MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Jan. 20, 1934 3 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR [may 7b/7PKWS 5 3M CL'i lmin.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 I UNITED STATES.

MODEL AND TOY BUILDING AND coN- s'muc'rron ELEMENTS TnEnEron Ernest E. Tompkins, Haverford, Pa, assignor to Rubber Specialties Company,

Conshohocken, Pa.,

. Incorporated;

a corporation of Delaware Application January 20, 1934, Serial No. 701,592

' 4 Claims. (01. 46-35) This invention relates to improvements in model and toy buildings and model construction ele ments, and more particularly to building members having snap fastening means associated therewith and adapted for use for model or toy building purposes.

' Hitherto a variety of building blocks have been proposed for use in which means were provided for nesting the members together, and other structures have been devised in which means have been provided for sliding the several units into locking engagement with each other. There are a number of inherent disadvantages in these construc-. tions due, on the one hand to the inability of building a structure of any permanency as the members may be readily lifted out of contact with each other. On the other hand, structures made with members which have to be slid into locking engagement with each other cannot readily be assembled and disassembled and require special forming operations and are restricted to relatively few materials out of which the units can be made.

It is a feature of this invention to provide improved building units for model and toy construction in which the elements. are uniform and mu-. tually interchangeable and in which the elements are provided with snap locking means.

Other features of this invention include the provision of model and toy building units simulating structural brick, wood frame, marble, stone, c'ement, tile, cement blocks, stucco, etc., made of rubber or other material and characterized by locking members adapted to snap into mutual locking engagement. In addition, the invention brings as a distinct feature the utilization of snap members comprising an annulus and a pin member, with a collar formed thereon, either the annulus or the collar of the pin member, or both, being made of a yieldable resilient material such as soft rubber,- which permits the pin to engage so as to be pushed into the annulus and have the collar formed on the pin held in yielding engagement by the annulus.

Another feature resides in the incorporation of such annuli and collared pins as integral parts of block or other shaped units whether of the model or toy building type, in'any desired number.

It is also a feature of this invention that the locking members may be made up as a doubleended unit comprising a collared pin at one end and-an aperture at the other end having an annulus formed at the surface thereof, which annulus is adapted to engage with collared pin members similar to theone formed as an integral part of the same element. 1

A further feature resides in the'use' of such separately formed combination locking members in a variety of structural materials, such as rubber block, wooden blocks, porcelain brick, and the like, suitable apertures. being provided in the 5 blocksor other shaped units to receive the locking, members which may be secured'in place in any desired manner as by glue or cement.

Other desired features of this invention include staying members and floor members and which are suitably apertured to lay between two courses of bricks or other units and be locked in position by the mutual engagement of the locking means of the bricksor other units forming the courses.

A further desirable feature of the invention resides in the provision of model and toy buildings of any desired configuration and arrangement, due to the flexibility of construction permitted by the use of interchangeable building members having mutually interlocked locking means and the with.

These and other desirable features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the accompanying specification and illustrated in the drawings, certain preferredforms being shown byway of illustration, for, since the under-. lying principles may be incorporated in a variety Y of mechanical structures, it is not intended tov be limited to the ones shown, except as such limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings, like-numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, of which Fig. 1 is a model building shownin front elevation, and partly in perspective;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view-of a model of a garage;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of'a model of a building partly in elevation and partly in broken section showing the method of assembling the walls 40 and floors;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a portion of a wall showing the mutual locking engagement of the unit members; 1 a

Fig. 5 is a top elevation of a. unit member showing socketshaving locking shoulders 'or rims;

Fig. dis a view of the opposite side of the brick shown in Fig. 5 and similar thereto, showing the shouldered, tapered pin-locking members in place; V

V V Fig. 9 is an elevation partly in broken section engaging female members;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a buildingor toy unit provided with double pin-locking male members, and also provided with an edge slot;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of a special cone-shaped building member as prepared. from a half unit by trimming down to desired size and configuration; I

Fig. 12 is an elevation of an improved combination male and female pin-and-ring locking member as prepared from or shaped from an original building unit;

Fig. 13 is an elevation of a cornice member showing the preparation of same from standard units;

Fig. 14 is an elevation of an angle member with a pin-locking member integral therewith, as prepared from a fragmentary building unit Fig. 15 illustrates the manner of preparing cornice members from a plurality of standard units;

Fig. 16 is a broken elevation of a building unit showing an end-locking female member or annulus formed directly in the unit or formed by inserting a separate annulus therein;

Fig. 17 is an elevation of a portion of a sill or door member having a plurality of tongue-receiv- .able thickness and strength;

- Fig. 23 is a view of a member similar to Fig. 22 and provided with combination locking members of the type shown in Fig. 12;

Figs. 24 and 26 are fragmentary views-of corners of floormembers showing means for engaging locking pins; I

Fig. 25 is a top plan view partly in elevation of a partial assembly of units showing the method of using T-shaped tie-in members;

Fig. 27 is a perspective of a partition wall member provided with looking tabs and showing the method of securing slots in wall sections;

plurality of ornaments locked mantel thereof, and

Fi 36 is an elevation of the interior of the structure of Fig. 1 showing a cross-section of the -ment provided with a. locking member and set on a pedestal;

Fig. 33 is an elevation of a portion of a bridge table, or the like, showing the method of attaching lamps thereto;

Fig. 34 is an elevation of an ash receiver mount ed and locked upon a pedestal;

Fig. 35 is. an elevation of a fireplace with a walla-floors and 1'00! with their interlocking .a suitable cement.

in place on the I 2,018,771 of the building units provided with double pinmeans and the interlocking of the individual bricks;

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprehends the formation of model or toy buildings of a wide variety of shapes and designs and including various structures and elements such as bridges, towers, walls, streets, curbings, engines, carts, chairs, tables, and model furniture elements and members. These members or structure may be made by the utilization of 10 a plurality of interlocked building units or blocks designated generally by the numeral l0. These members may be generally of the shape and configuration of building bricks andin any desired dimensions. The special units simulating articles 15 of furniture and ornaments, wall members and the like, may be prepared from special molds or may be formed from standard units by appropriately configuring the same either alone or in suitable groupings.

The ordinary model and toy building bricks or other units comprehended inthe present invention and shown in more particular detail in Figs. 5 and 6, comprise a body portion designated generally by the numeral 10 and locking means incorporated therein. The locking means comprise one or more shouldered pins or male members 20 adapted to engage and mate with female members comprising sockets having marginal lips or annuli 30, forming locking ring members. 0 The-members 20 have another portion 2| of generally conical shape terminating in a shoulder or collar 22 formed on the end of spindle or neck 23. The shoulder or collar22, may comprise a continuous circular member, or it may comprise a plurality of spaced segments 22a, integral with the shaft of the locking pin as shown in Fig. 21. The spindle or neck 23 may be formed integral with the body of the unit it), or it may be formed in a separate member 20a, as shown in Fig. 20, 40 which is adapted to be inserted into a unit member' and secured in any desired manner.

Referring to Fig. 12, it will be noted that the pin member designated as 23, may be formed integral with a locking annulus 20b to form a separate unit 40, which may be inserted in aperture passing completely through a block and secured thereto in any desired manner as by means of Section 30 of the locking means comprises a ring of material usually formed integral with the body of the block or unit and provided with an inner socket portion 3| adapted to receive the mating portions 2|, 22 of the pin-locking member 20. The annulus 30 is of such a. thickness as to permit a snap engage- 5.5 ment of the shoulder 22 and the locking pin therewith. The spindle section 23 of the pin 20 is usually of the same height as the thickness of the member 30 to permit a close gripping of the abutted and interlocked building bricks or units. The gripping ring or member 30, may be a continuous annulus, as shown and described hereinabove, or it may comprise a plurality of jutting segments 30k, as shown in Fig. 21.

'The sections 22 and 30 are so configured and arranged as to permit their mutual snap engagement. For this purpose either the locking ring 30 or the shoulder 22 of the pin, or both, may be made of a flexible, yieldable material such as soft rubber. It has been found that while desir- .able results are secured by the use of mating alone, of the yieldable material.

. marginal lips 30 of the sockets.

For purposes of manufacturing convenience, and the like, it may be desirable to form the entire block together with the cooperating locking members of a unitary material such as rubber. This permits the use of single molds and the direct molding of the unit or block or brick with the said sockets.

. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be or other units from the compound. The rubber compound usedmay be of any desired color or color pattern (such as marbleized effects) to give a desired finish-to the blocks, bricks or other units.

It will be noted that the apertures or sockets 3| formed in one face of the brick or other unit are each substantially centered in a half section of the brick or unit and that the cooperating, mating pins are formed or extruded from the other side and in direct and positive alignment seen that this design permits the joining of a plurality of tiers, rows or courses of bricks or other units to be laid in positive alignment, and

thus accurately simulate a complete and finished building structure.

. By accurately'centering themating portions in a half of a brick or other unit the-units may be turned 7 about the pin as a pivot and thus further enhance the appearance of a structure.

Where it is desired to use half bricks or other units, as shown in Fig. '7, for ornamental purposes, or otherwise, the bricks or other units may be cut in half and the cut edges sandpapered to give a smooth finish, or half units may be directly formed or molded.

The bricks or other units may be made up without looking pins as indicated at llib in Fig. 4,

to permit the formation of base or cornice members, or the standard bricks or other units of Figs. 5 and 6 may be made up in the usual manner and the pins out off, after which the block may be smoothed on the cut face. To provide a desired flexibility in construction the bricks or other units of the type shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 may be formed and made use of.

' The structure shown in Fig. 8 is shown as the bottom course of Fig. 4 and is designated gen erally by the numeral Ill. The member or unit shown in Fig. 9, and designated generally as liic, is provided with a plurality of continuous apertures Mb terminating in marginal lips 30 and 30a. The member shown in Fig. 10 and designated generally by the numeral id, is pro-' other unit by removing the material indicated in dotted lines, or it may be formed .or molded in. manufacture process. Likewise special locking pins comprising a pin portion and an integral gripping ring portion may be formed by removing material from a half unit, leaving a cylindrical body portion with a locking pin at one end designated by the numeral 20b, and a gripping annulus or ring, designated'by the numeral 30b. Such a member may be inserted in a block orother unit of wood, porcelain, metal, plastic condensation products, and other suitable structural materials and cemented in place to give a 10 complete brick, or other unit, as indicated generally at 60 in Fig. 12.

Cornice members may be made in a variety of ways, as shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15. The unit I 0! shown in Fig. 13, may have a portion ll of 15 any desired shape removed therefrom to give a H jutting-out shoulder. The angular brick or other unit lilg, as shown in Fig. 14, may be formed by removing the material l2 from the body of a unit, the material removed being indicated generally in dotted lines. In the construction shown in Fig. 15 a cornice effect may be obtained by mounting one course of bricks or other units illh upon another course Hi and removing from the combined courses suflicient material designated generally by the numeral i8, togive a desired contour to the composite, the contour lines being'indicated generally by the numeral I4.

Sockets having integral looking or gripping rings 300 or inserted rings 30;! may be formed at various portions of the units at the ends or sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 16'. Where panel members of any desired style or shape, and designated generally by the numeral 10 (Fig. 28), are to be used to simulate doors, windows, partition walls, panels, and the like, such members may be provided with integral tabs or struck-out tongues H adapted to engage slots or apertures 12 formed in the various brick or other unit or sill members, or 40. in the continuous slots formed by the juxtaposition, in an aligned relationship, of the slots 50 which may be formed as an integral part of the unit bricks or building members or other units.

In connection with the utilization ofthe slots i 50, shown in Fig. 10, and their formation as a standard part of the unitary bricks or other units, it will be appreciated that such slots may be exposed only at window and door apertures so that a single slot on one end of a stand- 50 ard'brick or other unit will be suflicient to permit any desired incorporation or inclusion of panel, window and door members. This is particularly true as the slots or units being standard in size and being formed at only one end of the bricks or other units, the exposed ends of the bricks or other units at the comers of building walls, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, will be smooth and not slotted. Sill members maybe provided having locking ringportions. at both top andfbottom, as indicated generally at 3011 in Fig. 18. In the sill construction shown in Fig. 18, and designated generally by the numeral '80, the locking annuli' 30d are situated on one side of the sill member and-at the ends thereof. On the opposite side or a face of this member a plurality of such grip-ring sections and designated by the numeral 30c, may be provided to permit the laying of a desired 7 number of bricks or other units on the silland the keying of the sill to the adjoining wall sec- J;

' tion, all as more clearly indicated in the struc'-'- tures. of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Basement'sections or members 90, as shown-in 19, are provided with locking annuli'ttj,

' the building members.

usually disposed on one face, only, of a member. In this type oi! construction the members are intended primarily to serve as'base supports. It will also be appreciated that they may be provided with locking pins 20 instead of locking annuli 30.

As shown in the drawings and described hereinabove, the structures made up from the improved building units of the present invention will usually be laid in courses or layers in which the male or pin members will generally extend in a single direction. If for any reason it is desired to reverse the general direction of the pins separate pin members 2017. may be used as shown in Fig. 20.

While the shoulders 22 of-the pin members and the cooperating lips 30 of the socket members have been shown and described as adapted for mutual snap engagement, it will be appreciated that instead of having either one or both of these members formed of true annular shape they may comprise separate segments or sectors forming generally annular shape members adapted for mutual locking engagement. As shown more particularly in Fig. 21 the shoulder segments of the pinmember are. designated generally by the numeral 22a and the several segments of the corresponding mating member or annulus are designated generally by the numeral Referring now to Figs. 22 to 35, there are shown a variety of auxiliary members adapted to aid in the formation of model and toy com 'structions ofvarious kinds.

Thus, in Fig. 22 there is shown one end of a tie-in or filler member I having apertures IOI adapted to be engaged by locking members 20. In Fig. 23 a tie-in member H0 is provided with combination looking members 40.

In Fig. 24 there is shown a fragmentary corner of a fioor member I20 provided with apertures 2I suitably spaced to engage the locking pins 20 of These apertures are engaged by the locking members and the members I20 of suitable size and configuration are adapted to serve as floor members and'retaining members, thus strengthening a model or toy building construction while at the same time simulating a natural appearance thereof. The members I20,

as intimated hereinabove, may be of suitable thickness, usually of light sheet metal, such as tin plate of approximately 20-22 gauge B and S, stencil board, or other suitable material, and of sufficient structural strength and rigidity to impart a desired strength to the completed model or toy structure. Instead of providing a plurality of marginal apertures I2I in the members I20 other like members I20a may be provided 7 with marginal projections or tongues I22, as

shown in Fig. 26. These are suitably spaced and perform the same function as the apertures I2I,

being indicated by and locked in position by the will thus tend to form substantial and stiff model and toybuildin'gs.

Where interior partition walls are to be made as light as possible, and without using the model or toy building units, special partition walls I40 may be employed. These members may be provided with door or window apertures I4 I. These members may be provided further with tab sections I42 having apertures I43 adapted to engage g the locking pins 20. As shown more particularly in Fig. 27-, a wall member of sheet metal, plywood, cardboard, stencil board, or the like, having top and bottom tabs I42 provided at the ends of thewall or panel member, may be directly se- .cured in place by building members or units I0,

the, like, but roofs I 50 may be made of any suitable material and conformed to the top of the building or house I5I. These roof members maybe given any desired finish. As shown at I52 in Fig. 2, a semi-cylindrical roof may be made, as shown on top of a garage or hangar I53.

A further advantage of the novel construction of the present invention resides in the incorporation of the new locking members in a variety of articles or objects made to simulate things such as building parts, articles of furniture and bric-a-brac. Model or miniature members, such as colonnades 200, flower pots 2 I0, table lamps and the like 220, vases 230, clocks 240, candelabra 250, as shown generally in Figs. 29, 32, 33 and 35, may be made up in any desired shape and coloring and of suitable size to be incorporated in the model or toy house. These model or toy elements will be provided with the usual locking members, thus permitting the arrangement of the various parts to suit the individual taste and to simulate fullsize constructions. The model or miniature elements of furniture and the like, are made up and provided with locking-members whereby to permit them to be locked in place. Examples of such constructions are the flower pot 2 I0 mounted on a pedestal 2, the lamp 220 mounted and locked on a table 22I, or the vase 230, clock 240 and candelabrum 250 to be locked on a mantel 260 of a miniature or simulated fireplace described generally by the numeral 26I. The supporting members will be provided with suitable mating locking members whereverthey are necessary. Where locomotives, carts, and wheel vehicles generally are to be used, the wheels may .5 be formed of disk members 210 of suitable size and configuration, as shown in detail in Fig. 30.

A number of these elements 210 of difierent sizes are shown arranged in Fig. 31 to show a generally conical structure made up of a plurality of super- 55 posed and interlocked members;

In'Fig. 34 there Is shown an ash receiver 300 provided with an integral pin-locking member adapted to engage a mating member formed in a pedestal 3I0 These members may be of the 00 usual size for general use and indicate-the adaptability of the improved locking means of the present invention to full-sized articles of household furniture for general use: thus the table.22l, shown at'Fig. 33, may be a full-sized card table, or the like, and be provided'with a plurality of usual sockets 3|, conveniently disposed to receive either ash'trays, serving traysor other articles. This permits such articles to be locked in place and prevents them from being-readily dislodged I standard size and the flexibility of the construction, as well as the interlocking of the same- In addition, it has been shown that these unit members may be variously conformed to simulate a variety of structural members without requiring any great technical skill'upon the part of the user. Thus the building units of the new system are not only suitable for use by architects and skilled technicians for model purposes, but may be used as toys purely for amusement and instructional or educational purposes.

The novel interlocking means permits the rapid V fabrication and demolition of any desired type of structure by the use of standard building units and a variety of auxiliary. tie-in members.

Model or. simulated furniture and building parts may be constructed or formed, as such, as unitary members and by providing the same with mating locking parts they may be incorp'orated in'toy and model buildings.

It has also been shown that articles of household use such as ash trays, serving trays, and the like, may be secured to card tables and other members byproviding them with mating locking members as contemplated and disclosed in the present description.

It will now be appreciated that there have been provided improved model and toy building members havinga variety of structural features and adapted to be mutually interlocked by the cooperation of mating locking members adapted for snap engagement. The model or toy building members are susceptible of being formed of a variety of materials including plastics, such as rubber, phenolic condensation products, andcondensation products generally, as well as being made. up of other nonresilient materials such as wood, porcelain, ceramic materials, metal, and structural materials generally. Where the material of the block or unit is not naturally resilient, separate mating members may be incorporated therein to permit the desired snap-locking. engagement thereof with other members.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, ofexeluding any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

'1. An improved model and toy building construction comprising walls formed of unit members having integral meansfor resilient interlocking engagement with each other, flooring and interior wall members disposed in and between the several wall members and locked thereto by the interlocking means of the unit members, the said flooring and interior wall members serving as interior stiffening and supporting members,'10 and roof members disposed on and above the building and secured thereto.

2. An improved model and toy building construction comprising walls formed of a unit members having resilient interlocking engagement 15 with each other and provided with edge slots adapted to receive panel members, flooring and interior wall members disposed in and between the several wall members and locked thereto, the said flooring members comprising apertured 20 sheets of structural rigid material interlocked by the units outlining the completed structure, and roof members disposed on and above the building and secured thereto.

,3. An improved model and toy building construction comprising interior and exterior walls formed of unit members having resilient interlocking engagement with each other, stay and interlocking members for abutted exterior and interior wall members comprising T-shaped 30 structural sheet members apertured to receive locking members of the structural units, and roof members disposed on and above the building and secured thereto. I M 4. An improved model and toy building construction comprising walls formed of unit members having, resilient interlocking engagement with each other, the saidmembers being'provided with edge slots, window and door apertures in the said structure, panel members in the said 40 window and door apertures and fitted in the slots in the said unit members, flooring and interior wall members disposed in and between the several wall members .and locked thereto, the said flooring and interior wall members serving as interior stiffening and supporting members, and roofing members disposed on and above the building and secured thereto.

ERNEST E. TOMPICNS. 

